


Ghost

by Witchcraftandwine



Category: Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: Adventure, Blood and Injury, F/M, Romance, Slow Burn, Violence, learning, teddy bear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:13:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27562093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Witchcraftandwine/pseuds/Witchcraftandwine
Summary: Batman has been hearing the superstitious whispers of a ghost in Gotham, but when he come across it he is challenged by a secret project that would see him and all hero's destroyed.
Relationships: Batman/OC, Bruce Wayne/OC
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

There was only darkness in the beginning, darkness and a ringing in her ears. All sound was muffled exceptthat ringing, all vision was blocked leaving only images of twisting color conjuredby her mind. Her arms were restrained tightly against her body, Her legs bound together securely. That was life, day by day, time meant nothing, only the focus of breathing around the metal bar that kept her from biting, and the points she was forced to sit on to ensure her complete control.

She waited, she has grown good at that, patience. Attempts to escape over the years had taught her patience. Patience had allowed her to learn the lock code by ear from the tone of the buttons, allowed her to learn to fight so she could kill the guards who tried to stop her. To learn to quiet her mind from the pain of everything they did to her body.

Patience would get her free for real this time.

He was different. 

If she knew the word, she would have called him kind. He was a guard, he wasn’t rough like the others, he was too new, he smelled different, the other guards wore the same smell. Probably because of how she learned them, but he was too new, he didn’t know. All he saw was a young woman bound beyond belief, kept in strict conditions, used for tests, used to kill. What they were doing was brutalizing a woman. His empathy would be his undoing.

She remembered blood, she remembered screams and cries of pain and desperate pleading. He had freed her, But his blood was with the blood of others dripping from her fingers. Later she would feel bad for doing such a thing. He had gotten her loose, he had given her a chance to fight for freedom. A nameless faceless man whose blood mingled with that of White coats and Black suits. She knew she’d been shot, she knew the pain in her body and compartmentalized it, shutting it away to keep up the fight, and eventually she was out. Into the green, into the air, into the world.

Freedom. 

Now she had a singular duty, she had a singular want. She had been built for a purpose and she knew it. Knew it as well as she knew her number, She must protect Amrika.

Who was Amrika, why was she important? She did not know but she knew now she was free she would find Amrika, and protect any other Small ones from the Big.

* * *

It was raining again. 

Batman frowned as he watched the sleek black car pull up to a dark wearhouse on the wharf. Right on time. He glanced at the clock on his display, plenty of time. He made his way silently across the rooftop, quick careful movements learned through years of training softened his steps and helped him move silently but swiftly. He leaped cape snapping to a ridged state to catch the air allowing him to glide across the space and land lightly on the next roof, micro transmitters put in place well before anyone else had been there picked up the voices discussing the transaction. There was something else, the muffled sobbing of women, if his information was correct, it was several women.

Batman had received word from a very nervous informant about one of Maronies men bringing in several women from desperate circumstances to be pimped out. Leather creaked faintly as his fist tightened, part of him wanted to crash in right now and act, but he kept himself schooled and calm, he knew why he couldn’t do so, so he waited and listened. What he needed was the evidence first then he could make his move, detain the men free the women and leave the recording for the officers who would be enrout as soon as he signalled for them.

“-nway You’re sure we’re clear? We don’t need anymore problems.” Batman frowned the voice he recognized as a higher up in Maronies gang, the name came and went in his mind as the second voice came, this one he didn’t know, a new player?

“Absolutely, we had the whole place swept for bugs before bringing the merch.” he assured Maronies man huffed out a sigh that might have been approval when another voice popped up

“What about the Ghost?” That brought confusion, Ghost? 

“Don’t talk about that shit, Batman's one things he’s flesh and blood but there ain’t shit to prove there's any ghosts.” Maronies man said annoyed, he seemed disgusted by the suggestion, but Batman was curious, a ghost? He kept up on all reports of unusual happenings but he couldn’t see everything at every moment. A touch of the cowl had his computer doing a keyword scan as he returned his attention to the deal being made, he could look deeper into that later af-

A crash filled the air,

What?!

He moved up to observe from his planned entry point, there were shouts and gunshots, other sounds ones he knew, sounds of men dying, screams of panic and fear. What the hell was going on? One of the gun shots had taken out the lights leaving only a few side lights remaining. Changing his view to night vision Batman shifted eyes quickly scanning the building from his vantage point, then changed the setting again to heat signature. The original twenty signatures where down to six, five huddled back to back in a small circle, a sixth dropping a quickly cooling seventh before jumping up at shocking speed and crawling along what must had been a support beam. Something was spilling from the figure cooling heat from where it had been used.. Was that… hair? From the way the heat was pressed into it, had it been used to kill?

He had to act, these men needed to face the courts, no one had the right to be an executioner. Slipping in fast he was quick to make his way to the remaining men using the darkness to hide from them watching closely, the creature was moving and he followed the heat signature until it’s head jolted up and he knew, it knew he was there. It tilted it’s head in a curious way as if it didn’t know what to think of him before darting forward. He moved to try and intercept snagging the creatures hair, but it didn’t stop it used his grip changing it’s trajectory in a too skilled move.

The hair slipped from his fingers as it crashed into one of the remaining men, there was a shriek and more gunshots the hot flashes almost blinding him as he turned a shout of denial on his lips as the remaining men scattered using their downed comrade to flee as a gurgling sound bubbled from the two figures. Slowly the creature's heat signature stood looking around lifting it’s face to the air he didn’t dare move, didn’t breath it was listening? 

Suddenly it looked right over at him again like it knew exactly where he was… a meta? It turned but didn’t approach, heat signatures for the others were gone, only it, and the women in a shipping container. It turned away from him toward the container stepping forward. He moved fast launching a bola at the creature, it went down quickly as he switched to night vision. He stalled only a moment as the creature… no a person pulled at the ropes. It creaked then snapped under their grasp and he moved fast placing himself between it and the container.

“Small….” Batman frowned at the voice, it sounded uncertain and unused as it watched him. The hair, stupidly long covered much of its face, but he could see the blood stains all over it, dripping from it’s chin where it must have sunk its teeth into the last man. It lifted a hand and he took position but it only pointed beyond him

“Small… in the box… let out please.” it said slowly it’s words careful and considered. Its voice was a hoarse sound as if it didn’t speak often but he thought there was a lightness, it could be a woman. Maybe. But the shapeless clothing it wore was making it difficult to tell, then he realised it wasn’t just clothing it was a straight jacket. Very different from any he had seen before, there where a lot of extra restraints, secure around its legs at the midthigh, knee, and ankles though the one on her left ankle was gone, ripped away it seemed. Broken chains hung from secure metal rings attached to the belts.

The cuffs were ragged and the sleeves far too long, dirty from blood and dragging on the floor, like her hair. He stepped back once then twice, she watched him head tilting in that same curious way, almost like a puppy. He reached back opening the latch and she smiled faintly, just the smallest twist of her lips and softening of her eyes. She turned away walking to the body of her last kill as Batman turned to open the container just seeing her grasp it by it’s hair and dragging it out of site.

He turned his attention to the container, there where shuffles of movement and whimpers of fear as his visor adjusted there were at least 20 women huddled together some looked disturbingly young. He crouched to be more level with the women who were all sitting

“It’s alright you’re safe now, I’ve called for help.” he said gently, well as gently as he could with the voice modulator. The woman right at the front eyed him with suspicion, unable to see him as clearly because of the dark.

“Thank you.” she said after a moment. She moved slowly shifting to stand carefully Batman stood with her offering a hand to help her up, then to stop her.

“Just a second please, there was a gunfight. There's a lot of carnage you might feel better waiting here, I’ll leave the doors open.” he offered, but the woman gave a rueful smile.

“I am not worried for them, after taking us I hope they burn in hell. I’d rather see their cold corpses then spend another moment in this box.” she said firmly, a couple others nodding in agreement. Batman inclined his head and stepped aside; he wouldn’t keep them if they wanted out, and he didn’t blame them for how they felt. They had suffered a terrible thing and were just lucky he had found out about this meeting. How many others were in Gotham right now that he didn't know about?

“Amrika?” he looked up as did the woman he had spoken with when the scratchy voice spoke. Crouching on a box above them, head tilted watching them, was the woman in white still splattered with blood. He felt the woman next to him flinch faintly. Before she took a brave step forward.

“Did you help us as well?” she asked the bloody being, it watched them both before nodding slowly

“Small… Big hurt Small often… Bad thing, bad people do bad thing. Stop because they are Big and you are Small... this one will stop Big.” she said her words broken and slow. The woman slowly nodded in return as if not sure how to react. Gratitude warred with fear on her face.

“Then… thank you for helping us.” she managed finally, again the long haired woman shifted tilting her head the other way

“Looking for Amrika… do you know? Danger… protect Amrika, good girl must shield.” she said calmly something about the way she spoke or acted must have been unnerving for the woman they had rescued because she just shook her head unable to speak. As the sound of sirens filled the air Batman looked up, he had to go, but this creature.

“You’re Batman right? Go on, I’ll take care of the others.” the woman offered with a smile thinking that was the source of his hesitation he nodded looking up, the being was gone! As the woman turned away he launched up a zip line that caught a support beam and pulled him up swiftly from site. Once outside he quickly scanned the area, he couldn’t let the thing go. It had seemed to have good intentions but not only had it killed several men but it was running around in a bloody straight jacket. That tended to cause worry.

To his surprise though she didn’t seem to be making any effort to hide from him. Scampering up a wall clutching window ledges and out croppings she made her way up a supply building that was long abandoned and walked along the roof before taking a running leap to the next roof. Curious where she was going Batman followed keeping pace but not making his presence known.

“Sir?” Alfred's voice was curious in his ear

“Something's come up Alfred I’m following a possible meta-human. Deadly, but, strange the mental stabilityis questionableand it lacks communication skills.” he explained keeping a distance as he followed her

“Of course sir. Is this related to the Ghost keyword search? It’s just finished.” Alfred said. With Batmans confirming hum Alfred began to read out the most recent articles involving ghosts. There was a trail of small news stories leading all the way up from Texas of potential muggings, assaults, and rapes being thwarted by what witnesses described as a ghostly being. While the victims had been unharmed all of the attackers had been killed by the creature. It was described as being all white in coloring save being splattered with blood, and limited speech, some reporting it speaking in broken English and others stating it never spoke at all. The articles made their way east until the most recent one just a few days prior in Gotham, where a young woman claimed a ghost had protected her from being mugged on her way home.

“Is that what you're following sir?” the older man asked tempted to scoff at the ideas of a ghost. 

“Yes Alfred though it’s certainly no spirit, this ghost is almost positively a meta-human. I’ll contact you when I know more.” he explained as he stopped on a roof, an older part of town, many of the buildings where condemned all of them were empty… or, where supposed to be anyway, this was a good place for the homeless to find shelter from the weather.

Rain lashed down harder in brutal driving sheets but the woman moved with purpose though much slower now. Scaling down the side of one building he watched her slip on the wet stone, but she recovered quickly until she reached a window at the third floor, a faint glow of a fire from inside indicated she might not be the only one there he watched her crawl in and out of sight.

Assessing the situation he repelled down and eased open the door of the building, abandoned but not condemned, though it had seen a lot of damage in it’s time. He glanced around a few people huddled together watching him weary before he simply lifted a hand in a peaceful gesture and walked for the stairs. Making his way to the third floor he stopped. Standing on the landing was a large dark skinned woman. She was too well dressed and clean to live here and, from the bags on her arms, she was likely the source of the food he had seen people eating.

“What’s someone like you doin here? Don’t you have someone really dangerous to deal with and not harass these poor folks?” she asked, on the defensive on the people's behalf he smiled faintly people like her who did good just to be kind helped him maintain his faith even in the darkest nights.

“I’m not here to cause any trouble or kick them out, A suspect came in here I witnessed her entering a window on this floor, I’m here for her.” he explained, the woman scowled.

“I don’t know what you mean, ain't no one here but a bunch of poor souls without a cent.” she said stubbornly, he resisted the urge to frown, she was trying to help. She had plenty of reasons not to trust him.

“And the blood on your hand is from?” he questioned, the woman flushed covering the blood with her other hand

“I was just helping a girl with things ya don’t need to know. A girls entitled to her privacy.” she said disgruntled and maybe embarrassed at being caught out Batman nodded but he didn't believe her, they both knew it.

“I’m here to help her, Ma’am. But she’s killed several people this evening. I can't let her stay here.” he said hoping shed see reason the woman hesitated 

“Big guys?” she asked after a moment

“Bad men at least, a group of human traffickers.” he said, hedging on honesty to win her over, she wasn’t trying to cause trouble. She was looking out for the people here and probably had no idea just what the white clad woman had done, or at least how bad it had been.

“I thought she'd gotten in trouble… she’s been shot.” she said turning she stepped through one of the open door ways leading him along until they found a small gutted bathroom. Curled up on a piece of cardboard hair splayed out every which way was the ‘ghost’

“She’s settled a bit, I wrapped her up but I’m not a doctor… you can help her? I don’t think she’s… alright.” she said tapping her temple. Batman nodded moving he knelt carefully in the cramped space. Changing the visor setting he shifted reaching out, her temperature was too high, he thought so before but he hadn’t had a chance to look to close with everything else going on.

“Has she told you anything?” he asked the woman who just shook her head helplessly leaning against the door frame

“Not really, she waits for everyone else to get food before she’ll get some. She doesn’t seem to have a name, whenever I ask she just rattles off a number. Calls it a unit number. She’s only got those clothes and won’t change, won’t let anyone cut her hair. She just sleeps here, and the bear.” the woman gestured to a small white bear barely bigger than a man's hand it’s white fur grey with dirt and time one of the girls hands was stretched up to rest on the bears leg Batman shifted digging out a tranquilizing painkiller and administering it, seeing the way she relaxedhe knew she must have been partially aware of them, once assured she was properly asleep he gathered her into his arms the woman grabbed the bear and tucked it in his hand.

“I don’t know what's happenin to her but she seems like a good girl, You get her help you hear me?” she said firmly Batman nodded, smiling faintly to the woman before heading to the stairs and making his way up to the roof, the glider waited and after he loaded her in and secured her he jumped in himself and they were off.

* * *

Flying into the Cave Bruce glanced at the woman once more autopilot guiding them to the landing platform. Her shoulder was bandaged but bright red had already stained the only clean white n her. He assumed the other woman must have wrapped her up, something about the person in the seat next to him told him she wouldn’t know how to wrap herself up, might not even care to. He hadn’t even noticed the injury, her clothing so covered in blood. The rain washing away any trail that may have lingered.

As the Glider set down lightly it opened and he unbuckled her scooping her into his arms, pausing he reached to grab the bear, he’d already scanned it in case it had any hidden weapon, but no, it was just a dirty old toy.

Alfred was standing by as He had requested medical supplies ready so that they could tend the injury and make sure there where no others. Laying her out on the exam table he himself had been on to many times before while Alfred helped patch him up.

“Well, you weren’t exaggerating.” Alfred said mildly amazed, She wasn’t Caucasian, she was white, it was startling, her Skin her hair, her nails, with only the faintest touch of pink on her nail beds and lips, her face was flushed but that he knew was due to the fever Master Bruce had reported to him on his return.

“She’s not albino, but it’s certainly unusual.” he said, setting to work pulling away the Bandages to examine the wound. Between them the men managed to extract her arm from the Jacket. The material was tough, far stronger than the usual fair one would find. It felt rough against Alfred's hands and he tsked in disapproval. 

Under the jacket there was a plain white top, it was sleeveless but had a high neck like a sweater. This material was much thinner however Bruce recognized it, it was a lighter version of the Micro kevlar his cape was made of, how did she have something like this?

The Bullet had gotten lodged in the shoulder and a quick X-ray showed it just to the right of the joint, not a danger for now but if it shifted it could affect movement of the arm. So it would need to be removed. It was easy enough to remove the bullet though Alfred noted a difficulty getting through the skin with the scalpel. Bruce took a blood sample to be tested and run through the computer as he assisted the man.

“You said she took out sixteen men on her own in just a few moments?” he said looking her over he lifted a warm wet cloth washing the blood from her face.

“Yes, I know she killed at least on of them by strangling him with her hair, and the other man she ripped his throat out after tackling him, that’s when she got shot, I didn’t realise she’d been hit at first because of all the blood however.” he admitted Alfred nodded looking over the bloody Jacket, it was simply not right to put the dirty bloody thing back on her. With efficient and clinical movements he removed her trousers as well leaving her in the thin undershirt and short like pant. Bruce arched a brow as Alfred pulled a sheet over her.

“Being a killer doesn't mean she doesn't deserve modesty sir.” he said simply and Bruce nodded conceding the point watching as Alfred strode away no doubt to scrub those clothes to with in an inch of their life to get the dirt and blood out.

“While she rests Examine her feet those soles are almost black.” he said firmly Bruce chuckled and made his way to the table pulling over a chair to sit and examine the woman's feet. Indeed they were black with dirt and dried blood, there were rocks pressed deep into the sols and he could see a poorly healed wound already festering with infection, How had she been walking at all with all that damage.

Collecting fresh materials and a bowl of clean warm water he set to work cleaning away dirt and blood carefully picking rocks out of the skin, careful not to agitate the cut until he was finished cleaning the dirt, it was infected enough. Once he'd finished he set to work on the infection, cleaning out the wound and cutting away completely dead skin, and stitching the cut closed, he noted under the dirt where more scars, had this girl ever worn shoes in her life? The thick hard skin was like leather!

Drying and wrapping the foot he moved pulling away the sheet to check for any other injuries. A few old cuts and a fair amount of bruises but nothing life threatening, and the cuts weren’t deep and were already healing. Unlike her foot they weren’t infected so he just cleaned and bandaged them up before covering her up again. 

He had just settled when the computer signalled it had finished it’s initial scan of her blood so he made his way to the computer pulling up the results. It was fascinating and disturbing. She was indeed meta-human but from the looks of things. He frowned, rubbing his chin, this was more than just a meta-human, on a rampage.

He glanced back at the sleeping figure and then at the bear on the computer desk, heading to the sink he used a damp cloth to was away some of the dirt, getting as much of it off of it as he could he walked over and settled the bear in the crook of her arm before keying in the security pass code. Stepping back he watched a tall box lower around the bed the thick glass used commonly to protect shark divers would be impossible for her to escape. Without knowing the extent of her powers that seemed the safest idea until she woke and could answer some questions.


	2. Chapter 2

She was mildly aware of a pain in her shoulder as she woke. Her head was aching a bit as well. Her body felt wrong… wrong wrong, oh... this happened sometimes, her body felt gross and didn’t respond to her commands properly, she had once been told the word for it was ‘sick’

She was sick.

She shifted, she knew she was someplace different, the smell and sounds were wrong but she kept her eyes closed and her body still, focusing only on her breathing. No, she wasn’t back in the white room, she knew that much, the smell and sounds were different, the fact she could hear at all was a big give away. She could feel a thin soft sheet covering her and a tickle on the inside of her elbow, something... fuffy. Wait, it was white bear she knew it had to be the bear. She opened her eyes staring up at the ceiling. It was very high and made of rock with big beams stretched across it and large lights hung from them but were either off or dim.

Turning her head to the side where a blue glow seemed to emanate she saw a huge computer, she’d never seen anything like it evn back  _ there _ . She could tell that there were all sorts of pictures on it but she didn’t know what they were pictures of. She sat up slowly, there was someone sitting at the computer their back to her, a dark figure against the light. Silently she looked around studying her surroundings more. It was… a cave, She was sure that as the word, the walls were all rock and stone, there were so many things she didn’t recognize, and a few things she did. As she examind she realised there was something blocking her… surrounding her, glass? She reached out touching it, it was warm and a couple taps made it clear it was thick.

“Don’t stand yet your foot needs to heal and you have a mild fever.” she jolted at the voice pulling her hand back with a snap almost falling off the table she’d been sitting on. The person turned, he was strange, dark as she was light, his clothing looked familiar but his head was different. She gestured to her face with her hand before pointing down then moved her fingers in a square shape

“From big room?... Big box… girls… many girls… let out you did?” she asked her words broken but confident. She knew what she was trying to say but didn’t know enough words to communicate it. The person studied her a moment before nodding he stood and made his way over

“Yes I’m the one who helped you let those girls go. They’re being taken into safe custody so they can go home.” he explained he was studying her as closely as she studied him shifting onto all fours on the table and tapping the glass separating them she was used to this kind of separation and despite the throbbing in her body her curiosity overwhelmed that.

“Who?” she asked watching him, he shook his head

“I need you to answer some questions for me first. You killed a lot of men tonight and from what I can tell you've killed many more people on your way to this city.” he explained, he seemed angry about that, but why? She was just doing what she was supposed to. She shifted, plopping her backside down to sit in an almost dog like way, there was certainly an animal like manner to her as she watched him.

“Let's start simple, can you tell me your name?” he asked, she frowned a little, not upset but thoughtful as she processed the question, name… name…

“Designation, Unit 542-9-82. status decommissioned. Use, disposal of obsolete units.” The man frowned at that rubbing his jaw as she spoke. The words were said clearly but not like her own. It was as if she was regurgitating information she had heard many times before.   
  
“Do you know what a name is?” he asked after a moment, she nodded

“This Unit knows… Name… Human designation, Humans designated name… Unit designated number.” she said carefully again, unlike in giving her unit number this time she spoke with confidence, but simply didn’t have all the words she needed. The man blew out a breath leaning back a moment he seemed to be considering something.

“Well for now we’ll call you Unit while we talk. You seem to speak well but your vocabulary seems limited. If you can’t understand my questions you can ask me to explain them.” he said before frowning “Or to ask again in clearer terms.” he added watching her expectantly, oh he wanted confirmation she understood, she nodded

“This Unit will answer.” she confirmed he seemed satisfied with that and leaned forward again, his elbows resting on his knees so they were more eye level.

“Alright. Do you know where you came from?” he asked again and she had to think about it. Came from? She was silent a moment processing the question, she’d hard that question before

_ ‘Where did you come from’ _

_ ‘Holy shit where did that come from?’  _

_ ‘Do you know where I’m from?!’ _

“Unit origin location unknown, Unit origin white room.” she explained as she finally realised what he was asking her

“Ok So… You came from a white room… but you don’t know where that was?” he asked, trying to understand. She nodded reaching out to trace her finger along the glass. A box, then a bigger box around it then from the first box up leaving faint smudges on the surface

“Correct, when not in use This Unit was in white room. The white room was Underground, This Unit had to climb a long time then a bigger white room... Lots of glass... Outside all green... No stop just run, leave. This Unit got away.” she explained the man glanced back at his computer. There was a picture on it she sort of recognized but she had no idea what it was, only that the shape seemed familiar to her. There was an odd jerky red line moving across part of it

“The first ghost killing recorded in the US was in Texas but if she crossed the border…” the man said to himself before returning his attention to her.

“You've travelled pretty far, all on foot?” he asked she frowned confusion evident on her face as she looked at him he sighed a moment

“You walked very far to get here?” he asked rewording his question, she nodded then

“This Unit ask many Small if know of Amrika… if not This Unit move on.” she explained shifting as something occurred to her bringing her legs forward to a more crossed legged position. The way she moved The man observing her could tell she was hypermobile, she was completely unaffected by the awkward way she twisted her body. She lifted her foot and looked at the bottom then pointed 

“Sick is gone!” she said pointing to where she knew her foot had been sick from damage she’d sustained at some point earlier. The man smiled faintly and nodded perhaps a little charmed by her amazement.

“The injury and infection? I cleaned it up for you, as well as the others, can’t you feel it?” he asked. She shifted, closing her eyes and taking a single breath. Closing out everything she focused on her breaths focused on her body, only her body and her breathing

Slowly breath in… And then another slow breath out… in… out… 

Head... 

Shoulders, damage located, new, potential gunshot… location tampered 

Arms, damage located, old, lacerations and bruising

Wrists, damage located, old, lacerations and bruising

Hands…

Upper torso, damage located, old and new, bruising

Lower torso, damage located, old, bruising

Hips-groin-thighs…

Knees…

Lower legs…

Feet, damage located, old and new, lacerations, sick location tampered

Overall condition, malfunctioning.

“This Unit took damage during combat... assessment of damage… Body condition, poor... This Unit sees tampering … tampering by designation Claudia?” she asked. The one who called herself Claudia had repaired damage to her before, had explained her her that Her body malfunctioning in such a way meant ‘sick’ was she there? She opened her eyes and looked at the man curiously

“Repairs made to this unit?” she asked questioningly, Why would he repair her? Unlike Claudia he clearly knew what she was and what she was capable of, that’s why she was being kept in a cell so Why repair her didn’t he want to understand the extent of her capabilities like the others?

“In a way, yes, I helped fix you up by cutting out and clearing the infection from your foot and cleaning up your smaller wounds. My associate was the one who extracted the bullet from your shoulder and rewrapped the injury. The bullet was lodged in your shoulder, just over a scar of another bullet wound... you have quite a few scars were you ever… ‘repaired’ before?” he asked she shook her head at that marvelling silently that he and another had taken the effort to repair her.

“This Unit possesses valuable skills... When in white room This Unit was not repaired… This Units abilities studied so no repair..” she explained the man's hand curled into a fist. She watched his hand curiously wondering why he was doing that. After a moment the man shook his head and asked a different question.

“When you spoke at the warehouse you mentioned the ‘big’ hurting the ‘small’. Are you trying to help people?” he asked, she was silent a moment, help? Yes, help that was what she wanted to help was to protect, to shield, she was… she’d been built to be… slowly she nodded realising she hadn’t actually answered his question.

“This Units primary function, the protection of Amrika from Big threats. All Units have been built with primary function, protection… help. This Unit cannot protect Amrika, help Amrika in white room… This Unit could not protect other Small from Big in the white room… This Unit did not like being a Big…” she said softly looking down at her hands resting flat on the table surface.

“Obsolete units… did not want … to be destroyed… This Unit destroyed many obsolete units... Small units fought This Unit…. This is not Units primary function.” She said softly

“Developers of this unit… Big... this Unit tried to destroy Big many many... this Unit did destroy Big and left white room... this Unit search for Amrika. This Unit sees many Big. Stop Big from hurting Small.” she explained determination in her features through her broken words

“And when you say ‘small’, you mean, like the women in the container… how do you tell the ‘big’ from the ‘small’?” he asked, what an odd question, that was like asking how did you tell a boy from a girl.

“Big threaten Small, they hurt Small… Small cannot fight back… mmm Small is weaker... watch… This unit sees Small cannot fight.” she said trying to explain, how could she tell the big from small? She just… knew. When she watched the Big and Small, sometimes the Big where just mean and didn’t hurt just said things that made Small seem smaller She left those ones alone. Sometimes Big would actively hurt the Small they would have weapons and threaten the Small, hit the Small or touch them in ways that made them sad and scared that was when she acted… that was when the Big had to be destroyed..

“Alright, Why do you kill the ‘Big’?” he asked after a moment crossing his arms. She studied the way he watched her, his posture, his expression. She felt like for some reason this question was very very important, maybe the most important of all the questions he had asked her. So she thought about it, why did she kill the Big? It was an odd question, killing stopped them. If they were destroyed then they could not hurt others, they would no longer be Big.

“This Unit trained to destroy… To protect Small, Big must be destroyed to not hurt Small.” she said shifting moving her hands in the air trying to explain with them though not sure how.

“Big destroyed… Cannot hurt Small… Small is protected.” she reasoned after a moment wondering if he understood the man nodded slowly 

“If you could stop the ‘big’ from hurting the ‘small’ without destroying the ‘big’, Would you?” he asked seriously dark eyes fixed on her face. She frowned without destroying the Big? She didn’t understand what he meant, or how it was possible, it was how things happened it was- the man held up a hand

“Don’t worry about how you would do it, just tell me. If you could, would you? Or would you still destroy them?” he asked, leaning forward watching her intently. Would she destroy Big if there was a different way? Could she?... she bit her lip. She hurt seeing how scared the Small units had been of her, If she didn’t have to destroy them she wouldn’t have… and the Big when she fought them sometimes they would get scared and seem small, they would beg for mercy, they would say they didn’t want to die...

“T-this Unit… if This Unit… not destroy… but stop Big hurting Small… This Unit would stop, not destroy.” she said “This Unit… Big… This Unit… not want to hurt Small....” she managed carefully as she looked up at the dark haired man, he was very very different from any of the white coats or the guards from the white room.

“Different.” she said bringing the man out of what seemed to be deep thought.

“What?”

“You are… different… This Unit… ah… This Unit has seen many… But… strong… not Big… But Big… This Unit tries to understand.” she said reaching out to touch the thick glass again 

“This… like white room. ‘He’ stood behind this and told Unit to destroy the obsolete. ‘He’ did not permit repairs to Unit… You are like ‘He’ but… better? Not Small… not Big… Who?” she asked trying to understand the man just as much as he seemed to want to understand her, she had answered many of his questions, maybe he would answer some of hers now.

“Well For now I’m… My name Is Bruce Wayne, my designation.” he said with a small smile moving to stand making his way over to the computer and pressing a few keys the glass sliding down She watched curiously as the glass sank into the floor only to be covered by panels that made the floor even.

“I don’t think you’re going to run around the House killing us all are you?” he asked blandly. She frowned, almost offended.

“Not big, why hurt? No big!” she said annoyed moving to stand when her head did something strange it felt like she floated a moment everything got strangely spinny and her whole body was awash in tingles and a strange weightless feeling. Suddenly she was in his arms

“Easy there, you are still sick… come on, There's a proper bedroom, If I leave you down here Alfred would throw a fit.” he murmured. She studied his face a moment before nodding, not moving in his arms. A bed... room? Like the white room? Or like the glass box? She wasn’t sure.

“Yes… um.. This Unit… says… Thank you please?” she said questioningly clearly not sure what to say or how to say it but knowing she should say something. 


End file.
